Railroad-rail fastening



(No Model.)

H. A. LYDDON. RAILROAD FASTENING.

No. 479,289. Patented July 19, 1892.

INVENTOR %.C /5o /ddow H mm #6 ATTORNEYS.

MW 672 4am Triton.

PATENT HENRY A. LYDDON, OF BRAINERD, MINNESOTA.

RAILROAD-RAIL FASTENING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 479,289, dated July 19, 1892.

Application filed September 1, 1891. Serial No. 404,461. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY A. LYDDON, of Brainerd, in the county of Crow Wing and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and Improved Rail-Fastening, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention is an improvement in means for fastening railroad-rails to metal ties.

To this end my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a broken plan view of the tie and fastening. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view showing the manner in which the key is held in place upon the fastening-plate.

The railroad-tie 10 has a flat upper surface and depending longitudinal sides 11, which flare outward and which are bent outward at the extreme lower edges, as shown at 12, so that when fixed in the ground the tie will be held immovable. Near each end of the tie are parallel lugs 13, which are pressed up out of the metal composing the tie and which are shaped so as to fit one side of the flange of a rail 14:. A clamping-plate 15 is adapted to bind the opposite flange to the tie, and this plate has on its under side a projecting spur 16, adapted to enter a socket in the railflange, and this prevents the rail from creeping. The outer end of the clamping-plate 15 is recessed centrally, as shown at 17, so as to receive a locking-key 18, which key projects downward through a hole in the tie and is provided with parallel projecting arms 19 and 20, located at its upper and lower ends and extending at right angles to the body of the key. The upper arm 19 is adapted to press upon the clamping-plate 15, and thus hold it in place, and the lower arm 20 fits closely against the bottom surface of the tie.

In order that the key and locking-plate may not slip, the clamping-plate is corrugated, as shown at 20, and the upper arm 19 of the key has similar corrugations, so that when the key is placed upon the plate the corrugations of the two parts will interlock and both will be held rigidly in place.

In order that the key may be easily slipped into its proper position, the clamping-plate is made a little thinner on one side than on the other, as shown in Fig. 5, and as a further precaution against slipping a lug 21 is formed on the top surface of the tie and is adapted to form an abutment for the outer end of the clamping-plate.

To apply the rail to the .tie, it is slipped beneath the lugs 13, the key 18 is placed in the recess of the clamping-plate 15 and in the hole in the tie, the clamping-plate being placed on the rail-flange with the spur 16 entering the socket in the flange and with the key turned so that the arm 19 is at right angles to the clamping plate, and after the clamping-plate is in place the key is turned around, so that the arm 19 will fit the corrugated surface of the clamping-plate, and the arm 20 will be locked beneath the tie. The rail will thus be held secured in place, will be prevented from creeping, and may be shifted easily at any time by simply turning back the key and removing the clamping-plate.

It is obvious that the fastening may be made to fit any known form of rail, the only thing necessary being that the lugs 13 and clamping-plate 15 be shaped to fit the railflange and that the lug 21 be placed the proper distance from the lugs 13. It will be understood that this method of fastening the rails may be employed in connection with almost any form of metal tie.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 4 A rail-fastening comprising lugs formed on the top surface of a railroad-tie and shaped to fit the flange of a rail, a lug produced on plate and a hole in the tie, said key having the tie, so as to be opposite the other flange end arms, the upper of which is corrugated [O of the rail, a clamping-plate adapted to fit to fit the corrugated surface of the clampingbetween the lug and the rail, said plate havplate, substantially as shown and described.

ing a recessed outer end, a spur at its inner HENRY A. LYDDON. end to fit a socket in the flange and a cor- Witnessen: rngated upper surface, and a locking-key THOMAS LOUGHLIN,

adapted to enter the recess of the clamping- GEORGE H. BOUCHER. 

